Biblical Unity
Before discussing biblical righteousness, I would ask, What kind of man was Abraham? Was he righteous or was he sinful?
Most Mormons know about Abraham taking Issac to the mountain as a sacrifice. They know God made a covenant with him. Other than these few events in Abraham’s life, most are as I was when Mormon. They know little about the triumphs and tragedies of Abraham’s life. They do, however, lift him up as a prophet; righteous and nearly perfect.
Abram and his wife Sarai (their names later changed to Abraham and Sarah) traveled to Egypt because there was a famine in Canaan. As they came into Egypt, Abram feared the Egyptians would see Sarai’s beauty and kill him to get her. He convinced her to lie and say she was his sister. Because of this lie, Pharaoh took Sarai as a wife. Abram’s weakness was a sin against Pharaoh, his wife Sarai, and God.
God promised Abram and Sarai a son in their old age. While they knew and wanted to believe God, they also knew Sarai was well past childbearing years. Instead of trusting God, they turned to Hagar, a maidservant. Hagar conceived and bore a son named Ishmael, but he was not the promised one (Genesis 15:3-4).
In both of the above examples, Abraham was weak and prone to sin, as are we. He trusted in his own strength instead of resting fully in God. Are we any different? Do we say, God can do anything and then lean on our own understanding (Genesis:18:14 & Proverbs 3:5)? I believe Abraham was more like us than we might imagine.
Abraham, you, and I are equally fit for hell. James taught, if we keep the whole law and stumble on a single insignificant point, we are guilty of all (James 2:10). Paul adds his witness to James’ bold words. He wrote of those who would save themselves by keeping the law. He warned, if you begin down that path, you must abide by every point written in the law (Galatians 5:3).
Achieving Biblical Perfection
Scripture clearly teaches that Abraham believed. Because he believed, God accepted that belief and credited it to him as righteousness.
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Romans 4:3, BSB
Pause and Ponder
Do you agree?
- Do you believe God counted Abraham’s belief as righteousness?
- What type of righteousness did God credit to Abraham? Was it the righteousness of a faithful disciple, a prophet, or something else?
Context provides the biblical answer to the above question.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
–Bible, Romans 3:22, KJV, emphasis added
Moving on, consider this supporting passage. In it, we read of God’s desire to bless and justify us all, even when we are ungodly.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Romans 4:5, KJV
Abraham faced many difficult struggles in his life. He doubted, and sometimes he failed. Through it all, he repented and faithfully turned back to God. Even when everything seemed impossible, Abraham continued to believe.
What about us? Do we have the same hope when everything seems hopeless? Paul assures us that because of belief, Jesus imputed His righteousness to Abraham. The promise is for us also (Romans 4:18-21).
Pause and Ponder
STOP: Soak this in.
- Did Abraham receive, the very righteousness of God?
- Do you believe God will justify those who believe, even as they struggle with doubt and sin?
- Is this good news, or do you prefer to save yourself through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Mormon gospel?
Let’s bring this home.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 5:1, KJV
Abraham and all who follow in his steps declare, having been justified by faith, I have total peace with God through my Lord Jesus Christ.
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because all things that I heard from My Father, I have made known to you. –Bible, John 15:15, BSB
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